Te Waotu School

School Report

Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.

We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.

About the School

Te Waotu School is a rural school that provides education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school’s vision is to develop confident and resilient life-long learners that enact the school values of respect, responsibility, honesty, kindness and courage. 

Part A – Parent Summary

Progress since August 2022 ERO report

Since the previous report the school expected to see:

• improved achievement outcomes for all learners, including Māori and those with additional learning needs
• the development of programmes to more effectively respond to the needs of individual learners
• greater teacher understanding and use of assessment as a tool for learning
• students increasingly taking responsibility for their learning.

Between the end of 2023 and 2024 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics significantly improved for Māori learners. All students that were well below expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics have made progress and currently no students are well below the expected curriculum level. 

Structured literacy programmes are well embedded, and teaching is differentiated to meet student needs. 

Staff professional learning and development is supporting curriculum development. This has contributed to an increased understanding about the role of assessment in learning, including the use of standardised assessment to inform next learning steps. 

Many students can discuss and show an understanding of their learning and where they are in relation to the expected curriculum level. 

How well placed is the school to promote educational success and wellbeing?

Achievement in Years 0 to 8

This table outlines how well students across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level.

Attendance

The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.

The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.

Regular attendance is improving towards or beyond the target.

Chronic absence is not yet reducing over time. 

Assessment

The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.

Assessment information is used well to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.

Progress

The school is developing good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.

The school has significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.

The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.

The school is making progress towards meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets for 2030 and agrees this will need to be a key strategic priority.

An explanation of the terms used in the Parent Summary can be found here. Reporting | Education Review Office.

Part B: Findings for the school

This section of the report provides more detail for the school to include in strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school.

Areas of Strength

Achievement outcomes have improved for Māori students and for those with additional learning needs. Staff professional learning and development is prioritised, to build staff capacity to improve learner outcomes through high impact teaching strategies. 

The recently appointed principal established a collaborative leadership team focused on student centred school improvement. The curriculum is focussed on structured literacy and mathematics programmes and provides breadth and depth of learning opportunities.

The board represents and serves the community to support the school improvement journey. 
Well-established and positive community relationships foster regular parent and whānau engagement in the life of the school and partnerships for learning.  

Key priorities and actions for improvement 

The agreed next steps for the school are to:

• leaders, staff and the board work towards improving student outcomes for all learners in literacy and mathematics
• develop the school’s curriculum incorporating the expectations of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum areas and reflect the school’s rural context
• build capacity staff capacity to enact high impact teaching strategies within the school’s curriculum framework and expectations for teaching and learning
• leaders and the board implement and evaluate targeted strategies put in place to improve regular attendance. 

The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.

Within three months:

• refine the achievement targets to include accelerated progress for students who are not yet at the expected curriculum level and for those who require extension
• teachers begin implementation of more structured mathematics and the te reo Māori programmes
• build staff capacity to deliver high impact and personalised learning programmes through the refreshed curriculum
• review and refine the school’s action plan for raising regular attendance.

Every six months:

• leaders report on progress towards the achievement targets in reading, writing and mathematics; develop and implement strategies to respond to identified needs
• teachers embed more structured mathematics and te reo Māori learning programmes
• utilise the professional growth cycle to monitor progress toward the goal of consistently delivering high impact, responsive teaching and learning
• more formally review progress toward the regular attendance goal and adjust strategies as needed

Annually:

• leaders evaluate and report to the board progress towards improving equity and excellence in achievement for all groups of students
• review and report to the board progress towards implementing and embedding the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum areas
• evaluate the progress towards consistent use of responsive and high impact teaching practices
• evaluate progress and adjust targeted strategies to make progress to meet the Government goal of 80% regular attendance.

Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:

• increased rates of progress and achievement including more equitable outcomes for Māori students in reading and mathematics and for boys in literacy
• improved outcomes for all students, including those learners who require extension
• higher rates of regular attendance.

Part C: Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements

All schools are required to promote student health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

During this review the Board has attested to some regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Actions for Compliance 

ERO has identified the following areas of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

• obtain a police vet for every person whom the board appoints or intends to appoint to a position at the school before the person’s employment or engagement at the school begins
  [s104 Education and Training Act, 2020]
• ensure that all restraint trained non-teaching staff are authorised by the board to use restraint. [Education (Physical Restraint) rules 2023, Section 99 (2), Education and Training Act, 2020]
• ensure the child protection policy meets requirements [s18 and 19 Children’s Act 2014, s15 Oranga Tamariki Act, 1989].

The board has since addressed the areas of non-compliance identified.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within three years.

Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki
Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children.

Sharon Kelly
Director of Schools (Acting)

26 May 2025

Education Counts

This website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home